Books have become something of a hot commodity in Hollywood in recent years. There's something deeply satisfying about seeing your favourite novel reimagined for on screen consumption. It's why TikTok is saturated with fan-castings for projects like The Secret History, and the uproar is deafening when filmmakers get it wrong. The latest book to receive the big screen treatment is Maggie O'Farrell's Hamnet, which is set to be marshalled into a film by Oscar-winning director of Nomadland, Chloé Zhao. All the details, below.
Hamnet wins Toronto International Film Festival
After its TIFF screening last week, Hamnet took out the top award – winning this year’s people’s choice award. For those in the know, the award has become a bit of an Oscar predictor – with every recipient from 2011–2023 scoring either a best picture nomination or a win.
Watch the first trailer for Hamnet
What is Hamnet about?
Hamnet strides into historical fiction territory, exercising great empathy to reimagine a personal tragedy of one of history's most recognised figures; the loss of The Bard's 11-year-old son to the plague, and the way this shaped his universally beloved play, Hamlet, which would be written shortly after. Through the grief of Shakespeare's wife Anne, affectionately known as Agnes, O'Farrell explores the consequences of this loss on her two remaining daughters, one of which was Hamnet's fraternal twin, on art, and on her marriage to William.
"That book – it’s just devastating. I can’t wait," Mescal said in a recent interview about the role. "If I told a younger version of myself that this would be [shooting] this year, I wouldn’t believe it."
As with the Zhao's recent work of fiction, The Marriage Portrait, Hamnet instantly landed a spot on the New York Times bestsellers list when it was published in 2020.
Who is involved in the project?
As mentioned, Chloé Zhao has been named director of Hamnet. Sam Mendes was previously rumoured to helm the project but will step on as producer. Meanwhile, O'Farrell will adapt the script. As for who will star? Tom Holland was originally attached to the film as its lead, however Paul Mescal has since secured the role of Billy Shakespeare. His fellow Irish actor Jessie Buckley is playijng Agnes Shakespeare.
It's not the first time Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal have acted in close proximity. The two featured in Maggie Gyllenhaal's adaptation of The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante, where Mescal played Dakota Johnson's secret love interest and Olivia Colman an older version of Buckley's character.
What about a release date?
The film is slated for release on November 27, 2025.
